Upper Elementary

(grades 4-6)

The Age of Imagination begins in our lower elementary program and carries into upper elementary. During this time students move from concrete to abstract thinking. By using their imaginations, students are able to travel in time to our earliest history, travel the world as global citizens, and make real world connections across the curriculum.

Our multiage classroom allows students from grade 4-6 to collaborate on big projects, to experience being both mentee and mentor, both student and teacher. Like Lower Elementary, the curriculum in Upper Elementary is interrelated and based on Montessori’s Cosmic Curriculum.
At Harbor Montessori several areas of the curriculum are constructed as 3-year cycles, which allows for in depth study on many topics. For example in the area of world history the students participate in year-long studies of Ancient Civilizations, Middle Ages and Renaissance and US History. In science, the students complete a three-year rotation of Biology, Chemistry/Physics and Anatomy/Environmental Science. All other subjects, such as algebra, geometry, and Latin & Greek, are individualized. Because students at this age are moving toward abstraction, they have the best of both worlds—concrete Montessori materials when they are needed and the freedom to move ahead quickly as they master a concept/skill.

LEARN

…how to be responsible, thorough, independent students.

CONNECT

…to their passions and to their peers.

GROW

…academically, socially and emotionally as they prepare for adolescence.

The Montessori Upper Elementary program is different than traditional fourth-sixth grade classrooms. Opportunities abound for students to follow their interests and passions through research, to take charge of their own planning and to present their research to the school community. Executive functions, such as organization and time management, skills are a focus in Upper Elementary. This allows the students to grow in their ability to set and achieve goals and become even more independent in their self-direction.

The classroom environment coupled with an individualized education plan for each student, low student to teacher ratios (less than 10:1), amazing Montessori materials and highly-trained staff, make Harbor Montessori an excellent choice for the 9-12 year old child.